Shrapnel.



M. DREGER.

SHRAPNEL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 15, 1906.

932,00 Patented Aug. 24, 1909;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAX DREGER, 0F ESSEN-ON-THE-RUHR, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR T0 FRIED. KRUPP AKTIENGESELL- SCI-IAFT, OF ESSEN-ON-THE-RUHR, GERMANY.

SHRAPNEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

Application filed September 15, 1906; Serial No. 334,709.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Max DREGER, a subj ect of the Emperor of Germany, and a resident of Essen-on-the-Ruhr, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shrapnels, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to base chamber shrapnels, that is to say, those shrapnels which have their charge arranged in the rear part of the projectile. In the known projectiles of this type, the impact fuse is arranged at the nose of the projectile and the charge consequently does not enter into effect until some time after the impact, that is to say, the bursting of the charge may be delayed until the projectile has passed some distance behind the target. A

The object of the present invention is to improve the base chamber shrapnels with regard to their effect by impact in such a manner that the shrapnels enter into effect at the moment of impact and thereby become highly effective in lateral directions.

In the accompanying drawing one embodiment is shown in longitudinal section by way of example.

The bore of the projectile-body A is divided by the driving disk D into two chambers and is closed toward the front by a time-fuse B and toward the rear by a screwplug C. In the front chamber, the charging shot E and the igniting tube F are located. In the rear chamber, which has strong walls, is arranged the charge G which is a bursting charge of such a nature (such smokeless powder) that it becomes detonated when sufficiently excited. An impact fuse H, which is secured in the screwplug C, projects into the charge G. The igniter h of the impact fuse H is in connection with a detonator J which is separated from the charge G by a cap K. The detonator serves the purpose of effecting detonation of the charge G when impact of the projectile takes place.

By reason of the above-described arrangement, the charge G is detonated immediately on impact of the projectile, that is to say, the

projectile-body bursts. At the moment of impact, the fragments of the projectile-body, therefore make the projectile highly effective in lateral directions. The projectile is, therefore, particularly useful against field guns provided with protecting shields. The ac tion of the projectile under the effect of the time fuse is apparent.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. A shrapnel having a single base-chamber charge of an explosive substance capable of both low and high explosive action; a time fuse causing the charge to explode during the flightof the shrapnel with low explosive actlon, and an impact fuse provided with a detonator and located in immediate proximity of the charge, s'aid impact fuse causing the charge to detonate on impact of the shrapnel, with high explosive action.

2. A base chamber shrapnel having a single charge of an explosive substance capable of both low and high explosive action; a time fuse communicatlng with the charge to cause the charge to explode during the flight of the shrapnel to act as a shrapnel charge; and an impact fuse located in immediate proximity of the charge and causing the charge to detonate on impact to act. as a grenade charge.

3. A base chamber shrapnel having a single charge of an explosive substance capable of both low and high pressure action, said charge being located in the base chamber of the shrapnel; a time fuse communicating with the charge to cause the charge to explode during the flight of the shrapnel to act as a shrapnel charge; and an impact fuse provided with a detonator and located within the charge; said impact fuse causing the charge to detonate on impact of the shrapnel to act as a grenade charge.

The foregoing specification signed at Dusseldorf, Germany, this 11th day of August, 1906.

MAX DREGER.

In presence of WVILLIAM ESSENWEIN, ALFRED POI-ILMEYER. 

